At Play in the Fields of the Lord ** (1991, Tom Berenger, Aidan Quinn, Kathy Bates, John Lithgow, Daryl Hannah, Tom Waits) – Classic Movie Review 11,608

Director Hector Babenco’s 1991 epic adventure drama film At Play in the Fields of the Lord is based on the 1965 novel by American author Peter Matthiessen, and has a great cast, but was a $20 million disaster at the box office.

It stars Tom Berenger, John Lithgow, Daryl Hannah, Aidan Quinn, Tom Waits and Kathy Bates. The screenplay is written by Babenco and Jean-Claude Carrière.

A quartet of US missionaries blocks the path when the people of an Amazonian small town want to expand into the jungle at the expense of the Indians.

The fine cast fights hard in a losing battle against a disappointing script and direction in this fumbled version of Peter Matthiessen’s 1965 novel. Sluggish pace and handling and the overblown production dominate even the beautiful Amazon views and the stirring events.

Tom Berenger stars as Lewis Moon.

Tom Berenger comes out best as Lewis Moon, the American Indian pilot who joins the natives, but John Lithgow as Leslie Huben and Daryl Hannah as Andy Huben also impress.

Apart from the film’s failures, Zbigniew Preisner’s score was admired.

It is another brave film backed by producer Saul Zaentz, who this time got his fingers burnt. It cost $36 million and earned $1,342,903 (US). Zaentz first tried to make the film in 1965 but in 1989 he decided that MGM, who owned the rights, would not make the film and paid $1.4 million for the rights.

It was filmed in Belém, Pará, Brazil.

It was released in US cinemas on 6 December 1991.

It was released on VHS and Laserdisc, but not on DVD nor Blu-ray in the US, but it is available digitally via Google Play, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube.

The cast are Tom Berenger as Lewis Moon, John Lithgow as Leslie Huben, Daryl Hannah as Andy Huben, Aidan Quinn as Martin Quarrier, Kathy Bates as Hazel Quarrier, Tom Waits as Wolf, Stênio Garcia as Boronai, Nelson Xavier as Father Xantes, José Dumont as Commander Guzman and Niilo Kivirinta as Billy Quarrier.

Tom Berenger was born as Thomas Michael Moore in Chicago, on 31 May 1949.

Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,608

Link to Derek Winnert’s home page for more reviews: http://derekwinnert.com/